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Mopar Hellephant Crate Motor Brings 1,000 Horsepower To SEMA

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Say, remember last week when Mopar teased “something big” it was planning to bring to the 2018 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and we guessed – based on the elephant imagery in a teaser video – that it was a 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) Hemi V8 crate motor like the so-called “elephant engine” of the 1960s? Well, we were right – sort of.

A week ago, we never anticipated that Mopar would have the lack of regard for public safety to supercharge such a massive monster of an internal-combustion engine, and guessed that it would be naturally-aspirated. Boy, did Mopar make a fool of us.

Unveiled this week at SEMA, the “Hellephant”, as it’s named, is a 426-ci Gen III Hemi V8 with an aluminum alloy block and a monstrously sized, 3.0-liter twin-screw supercharger, capable of producing up to a monumental 1,000 horsepower on 93-octane gasoline, along with 950 lb-ft of torque. It’s the first 1,000-horsepower crate engine ever offered by an OEM, according to Mopar, and it’s none too hard to understand why.

The Mopar Hellephant’s alloy block was kindly donated by the Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak car that’s dominated the 2018 NHRA Factory Stock Showdown class, its aluminum construction helping to keep weight down, and the valve train was sourced from the 808-horsepower Hemi V8 in the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. A special high-lift cam and custom-forged pistons also rank among the Mopar Hellephant’s more notable components.

“Our enthusiasts crave power and performance and our new ‘Hellephant’ Mopar Crate HEMI engine and kit deliver huge horsepower and torque in a plug-and-play package that is unique in the industry,” says Mopar Head of Parts & Service Steve Beahm.

The 426 Mopar Hellephant V8 will be available in the first quarter of 2019, giving rise to a brand-new, bad-ass elephant logo akin to the now-iconic Hellcat and Demon logos. We can’t wait to see the crate motor start appearing in custom restomods.